Outline

Material and Methods: 5,223 patients with serious injury in the United States Eye Injury Registry (http://www.useironline.org/) database were analyzed.

Results: A significantly (p<0.001) greater percentage (40% vs. 30%) of eyes in the control group vs. among the elderly had no prior abnormality; significantly (p<0.001) more elderly patients were hospitalized. A blunt object was the most common cause in the elderly (31%). The home was the most frequent place (60%), significantly more than in the control group (38%). Rupture was significantly (p<0.001) more common among the elderly (31% vs. 11%). The retina was injured less frequently (p<0.01) in the elderly than in the control group (39% vs. 45%, respectively), as was the macula (7% vs. 11%, p<0.01). Elderly patients had significantly (p<0.001) more operations. For the elderly, there was twice as high a risk of having poor vision after a serious injury than for those in the control group.

Conclusion: Elderly patients are more likely to have poorer outcome than those under 60 years of age, even when controlling for prior eye disease or poor initial vision. This is caused mainly by higher injury severity (rupture due to fall) but also because of a less effective healing process; treatment is pursued just as much in elderly patient as in the young.